A cooling sensation is generally imparted to foodstuffs by the addition of certain ingredients such as dextrose, polyols, or mint oils, e.g., peppermint, spearmint, or wintergreen, to the products. For example, in amounts above about 5 percent, dextrose tends to impart a cooling sensation to filler creams (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,991 to Porcello, et al., and 4,865,859 to Porcello and Manns). In fondants, dextrose affects crystal structure and growth (Leach, H. W., The Bakers Digest, June 1968: 36-38). Polyols, notably glycerol and propylene glycol, appear to assist in aligning fat crystals in the fat component of coating compositions, creating an elevated apparent melting temperature in food products incorporating the additive (U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,769 to Kincs).
Imparting a cooling sensation is but one goal in the formulation of certain food products. Other goals include calorie reduction and fat reduction or the minimization of certain fat components. Dietary fat is the most concentrated source of energy of all the nutrients, supplying 9 kcal/gram, about double that contributed by carbohydrate. Not only are fats high in calories, but certain fats may pose a health risk when consumed over time. For example, triglycerides bearing significant amounts lauric, myristic, and palmitic acid residues have been shown to increase plasma cholesterol concentrations (Bonanome, A., and Grundy, S. M., New Eng. Jour. Med. 318: 1244-1248 (1988)), as does cholesterol consumption. Triglycerides bearing significant amounts of trans-unsaturated fatty acid residues such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have been recently shown to raise low density lipoprotein serum cholesterol levels and to lower high density lipoprotein serum cholesterol levels in adults fed fats having these acids (Mensink, R. P., and Katan, M. B., New Eng. Jour. Med., 323: 439-445 (1990)). Hence, a goal of recent research in the food industry has been to decrease caloric intake from fats, and to minimize or eliminate partially hydrogenated fats and fats containing lauric, myristic, and palmitic acid in food products.
Shortbread, a thick cookie traditionally made of flour, sugar and a large amount of butter or other shortening, is ordinarily high in calories because of its fat component. In addition, butter, commonly used in shortbread, contains significant amounts of myristic and palmitic acid, as well as cholesterol, and substitute, equally calorific vegetable shortenings are generally partially hydrogenated so they contain significant levels of trans-unsaturation.
It would be desirable to have low calorie shortbread that contains little or no trans unsaturated fats, and decreased amounts of butter. It would also be desirable to have, without the use of additives, shortbread having a pleasant cooling sensation upon eating.